Following the announcement that Craig Lowndes will team up with Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor for the 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) has announced a second entry backed by Australian whiskey NED that will see 2018 Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Australia Champion, Jaxon Evans team up with former Le Mans 24 hour winner Romain Dumas and Bathurst stalwart David Calvert-Jones.
Calvert-Jones returns as the NED Racing team’s resident amateur driver joining Porsche factory driver, Dumas and the Porsche Junior driver, Evans, to make for a strong driver line-up in the hunt for a Bathurst 12 Hour Pro-Am podium.
Evans’ rise through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in Australia has followed that of Porsche factory driver Matt Campbell, who last year crossed the line first in an outstanding debut in the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) team. That historic performance also handed Porsche its first Bathurst 12-hour outright victory in one of the last race appearances for the previous generation 911 GT3 R.
For 2020, the NED Racing team will use the latest generation Porsche 911 GT3 R and welcome a new naming rights partner in NED together with key partners Virgin Australia and UMS (Urban Management Systems) for the event.
The EBM team will also be bolstered by key staff members from the hugely successful Queensland-based outfit McElrea Racing, who supported both Campbell and Evans to their Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup Championship titles in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
The 2020 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour begins on 2 February followed by qualifying on Saturday. The race begins on Sunday at 5:45 am local time and will be broadcast in Australia on the Seven Network and FOX Sports, as well as streamed globally via https://www.bathurst12hour.com.au/.
QUOTES
David Calvert-Jones (#12 NED Racing EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
“Great to be heading to Mount Panorama with Earl Bamber Motorsport alongside some key staff from McElrea Racing. We think this is a proven and successful combination and the Bamber crew certainly know what it takes to win at The Mountain. Great to have Jaxon back with us and a proven racer like Romain just rounds things out perfectly. After a great test in Kuala Lumpur recently, we can’t wait to jump in the car for first practice at the 2020 12 Hour and see what we can do.”
Jaxon Evans (#12 NED Racing EBM Porsche 911 GT3 R):
“Very excited to not only re-join David Calvert-Jones but to team up with the experienced Romain Dumas and the Earl Bamber Motorsport crew for this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour. It’s the perfect way to kick off 2020 in the new 911 GT3 R. A mixture of new and familiar faces with some of the McElrea Racing crew joining the team will hopefully put us near the pointy end come Sunday. A big thank you to David, EBM and Porsche Motorsport for the opportunity!”
Will Bamber, Co-Team Principal EBM:
“We are really delighted to be adding a second car, with the #12 NED Racing Porsche 911GT3 R, for our assault at the mountain. Not only will be pushing for the Pro-AM victory but the line-up of David, Jaxon and Romain, will hold their own in the overall standings too. It is a tough race as we all know and we expect another tight year of competition, so to have the support of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific and joining forces with McElrea Racing for this entry is fantastic.”
Adem Karafili, Top Shelf International Chairman:
“NED Whisky’s partnership with the NED RACING TEAM serves as a fantastic way to continue the development and growth of the brand through an Australian-owned team led by David Calvert-Jones. This partnership with EBM is a great fit for NED given the team’s professionalism, achievements and hunger for success. I know that our Managing Director Drew Fairchild, staff, investors and supporters are as excited as I am by this partnership.”
